Research finds female leaders generate higher shareholder returns

Alex Jones

Governance & Compliance

5 July 2013

The ICSA magazine, Governance & Compliance, has reported on PA Consulting Group’s analysis of the financial results of 50 listed companies and the gender make-up of their boards. PA’s analysis found that executive leadership teams with an even split of men and women performed the best; the organisations with no women on their leadership team were ranked lowest in both financial and cultural measures.

PA’s report establishes a relationship between success and organisational culture by analysing employees’ responses to detailed interviews around engagement, behaviour and values.

The article quotes PA talent management expert Lesley Uren, who says: “Despite decades of well-meaning interventions, and in the face of incredible pressure from society, many companies have had limited success in accelerating women up the management ladder.

“We started our research with the conviction that something vital was missing from the debate. What we found suggests that organisational culture – something frequently overlooked by other studies – is the key. As our findings show, it is absolutely in companies’ best interests to raise their game when it comes to promoting gender diversity. And the way to start is by getting the right culture in place.”

For more information on how a renewed focus on culture can break the diversity stalemate click here or contact us now